The citizens’ rights have to be at pinnacle: CJI Dipak Misra

New Delhi: Responding to the assertion of Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that governance ‘must remain’ with those elected to govern, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra said, “There can be no compromise on a citizen’s fundamental rights”.

On Prasad’s remark that “PILs cannot become a substitute for governance”, the CJI said the Supreme Court believed in and practised “constitutional sovereignty”.

“The fundamental rights are in the core value and the bedrock of the Constitution. An independent judiciary with the power of judicial review has been conferred with the power of the ultimate guardian of the Constitution to strike a balance and to ensure that respective governments are functioning as provided by the law within their respective domains,” he said.